We put together a quick guide for those who are new to the art of Muay Thai.
Here you will learn the basics of Muay Thai: where it comes from, what the moves are and what the rules are. And if you like the sound of it, you are welcome to join us at Diamond Muay Thai, the best Muay Thai camp for beginners in South Thailand.
When did people start doing Muay Thai?
No-one knows. The fighting stye that we call Muay Thai emerged out of the countless wars that the Siamese (Thai) people fought with their neighbours. Much of their history was kept at the city of Ayutthaya, which was sacked and burned by the Burmese in 1767.
A warrior named Nai Khanom Dtom was captured by the Burmese during the sacking. While being kept as a prisoner, he was allowed to enter a boxing competition. He fought and defeated 10 of Burma’s best fighters, one after the other. The Burmese king was watching and praised Nai, saying ‘every part of the Siamese is blessed with venom’. Others complained that Nai had won due to his black magic dance – what we would call his Wai Kru.
War was a way of life for some among the Siamese tribes; an inescapable reality for others. A fighting style was needed that would allow a warrior with no weapon to destroy his opponents. They didn’t need it to look pretty – they needed it to work.
